From “Robotech” to “Naruto,” Japanese animation — or anime — has
grown from a small niche market to a multibillion-dollar industry in the
United States.

Experts gathered in Aurora to speak about the genre’s rise in
popularity in the U.S. at the Summit on Anime in North America on March
23 at the Denver Airport Marriott at Gateway Park.

“What makes anime so special in America?” said Jeremy Pieta,
co-secretary of Rocky Mountain Anime Association (RMAA). “There’s not a
whole lot of academic discussion about it.”

The event, co-sponsored by RMAA and the Consulate-General of Japan in
Denver, explored anime’s history in the U.S., particularly the 1980s
boom that launched its success.

Anime showed that cartoons were not just for kids, something that had
been lacking since “The Flintstones,” said Kevin McKeever, vice
president of marketing for Harmony Gold, the company that brought
“Robotech” to America.